The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

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About the Northern Pikeminnow Predator Control Program: 

The Northern Pikeminnow Predator Control program was started in an effort to reduce predation by northern pikeminnow on juvenile salmonids during their migration from natal streams to the ocean. One important component of the program rewards anglers who harvest northern pikeminnow over 9 inches in length. Since 1990, over 2.4 million northern pikeminnow have been removed from the Snake and Columbia rivers as a result of the sport reward program.

As a result of this component of the program, predation on juvenile salmonids has been cut by an estimated 25 percent. In 2004, more than 267,000 northern pikeminnow were caught. The northern pikeminnow caught are processed into fishmeal for animals feeds.

Other elements of the program include the following:

1. Collecting, compiling, and reporting data on angler participation, catch, and harvest of northern pikeminnow and other fish species, as well as the success rates of participating anglers during the season.
2. Collecting biological data on northern pikeminnow and other fish species returned to registration stations.
3. Scanning northern pikeminnow for the presence of consumed salmonids containing PIT tags.
4. Surveying non-returning fishery participants targeting northern pikeminnow to obtain catch and harvest data on all fish species caught.

Partners:  

The program is a joint effort between the fishery agencies of the states of Washington and Oregon, and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). PSMFC coordinates and administers the program. Washington runs the sport-reward registration/creel check stations along the river and handles all fish checked in to the program. Oregon provides fish tagging services, population studies, food habit and reproductive studies, as well as exploitation rate estimates. PSMFC provides technical, administrative, and fiscal and contractual oversight for all segments of the program and processes all reward vouchers for the sport-reward fishery.

Learn More:  

For more information, contact Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission at (503) 595-3100 and visit the Northern Pikeminnow Predator Control Program at: http://www.pikeminnow.org/